Words of Condolence to Write in a Letter for a Boss

Dear Mrs. Jones,

I am so sorry to hear of the death of Mr. Jones. My deepest sympathies are with you in this difficult time. Please know that the family is in my prayers.

Mr. Jones was such a wonderful person to work for. Everyone in the office will miss his ready smile and helpful attitude around the department. He was always giving compliments or a helping hand to his staff. He made sure we knew we were appreciated and we are truly going to miss him.

I remember the time he stayed late to help me on a project that I had completed incorrectly the first time. Instead of getting mad at me, he sat down with me to make sure I understood everything even though he was missing out on dinner.

I will be glad to take on extra work to keep things going here at the office. Please don't worry about the department. We will continue to see that all deadlines are met.

With my deepest and heartfelt condolences.

John Wright

1. Keep your letter short but sincere
2. Try to make it personal with an appropriate story or comment.
3. Respect religious beliefs. Regardless of the person's beliefs on death, they deserve sympathy.
4. Sign with your full name (first and surname). This is important in case your boss' spouse didn't know the staff or others have the same first name.
5. Do not offer financial help.
6. Don't mention any outstanding issues or question the family about the future of your position if you work in a small company.

Even though your relationship with your boss was professional, letters of sympathy and condolences should be personal. You should begin by mentioning the name of the person you are writing to. The actual greeting will depend upon your relationship with this person and your deceased boss. Some typical greetings for the spouse of a boss are:

Dear _______,
Dear Mrs. ________,
Dear Mr. ________,
Dear _______ Family,
Dear _______ Family,
If you have never met any of your boss' family, address it to the spouse or closest family member.

It can be difficult to know how to begin your own letter. It's important to write from your heart and be sincere to reflect the relationship you had with the deceased.

I am so sorry to hear of the death of Mr. Jones. My deepest sympathies are with you in this difficult time. Please know that the family is in my prayers.

Other variations of the letter that would be appropriate to use include the following:

I am deeply saddened by the news of Mr. Jones' death. I want to tell you how sorry I am. Please remember that I am praying for you and your family in this difficult time.

I am so sorry to learn of your loss. I want to extend my deepest sympathies to you and the family during this time.

Please accept my sympathies during your difficult time. You are in my thoughts and prayers.

I want to express my condolences to you and the family on the loss of Mr. Jones. Please know that you are in my prayers during this time.

When you are writing words of condolence letters for a boss, it can be helpful to mention a personal memory or characteristic of the person that you knew from working with him or her.

• Mr. Jones was a great man to work for. He was always professional and pleasant and remembered everyone's names. He will be missed.
• I never met Mr. Jones in person, but I enjoyed talking to him over the phone and through email. He was always willing to help and answer any questions.
• I remember when I started my job and Mr. Jones was the first person to welcome me. Over the years, our relationship developed from boss and employee to mentor and mentee. I'm going to miss having him around to ask questions and get guidance. My prayers are with you.
• I was shocked to learn of Mr. Jones' passing. I worked for him many years ago when I first started out in the business. He taught me so much in those early days and I will never forget him.

Depending on how well you know the family and how active they are involved in the business, you may offer assistance. It will be more appropriate for a family-owned business than for a large corporation. This assistance may come in the form of taking on additional tasks at work or it may be in the form of help for the family. Some suggestions are:

• I will lock up the store in the evenings so you don't have to worry about that during this time.
• I can bring by any paperwork that you might need from the office.
• I will handle all of the phone calls and appointments and pass the messages on to you.

The ending we used in the sample letter:

With my deepest and heartfelt condolences.

End the letter with words that provide comfort and demonstrate your sympathy. Some other suggested phrases include:

• May God be with your family during this time.
• Know that you are in our prayers and thoughts.
• With our most heartfelt sympathy.
• May you know how much we care.

Make sure to avoid the common spelling mistakes if you use your own words for any in the sample words of condolence letters for a boss.

• Condolense
• Condolesens
• Simpathy
• Simpathie
• Neihbour
• Neigbor
• Neihbour
• Preyers
• Blesings
• Simpothy
• Simpothie